Means and method for defibrating



June 11, 1935. c. H. REYNELL ET AL MEANS AND METHOD FOR DEFIBRATING Filed May 15, 1933 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 H m J fl a/re' a7 6- frra EVE K June 11, 1935. c. H. REYNELL El AL 2,004,731

MEANS AND METHOD FOR DEFIBRATING Fi led May 15, 1953 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 105N707: 621/715 flemfr/fs-wvzLL 4777/07! V- Mm:

June 11,, 1935. c. H. REYNELL ET AL 3 MEANS AND METHOD FOR DEFIBRATING Filed May 15, 1935 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 [warm/7.5

WFQRMEK June 11, 1935. c. H. REYNELL El AL 4,

MEANS AND METHOD FOR DEQFIBRATING Filed May 15, 1953 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 fipwu J 1 4 6/75 475v IYEK Patented June 11, 1935 UNITED STATES 2,004,731 MEANS AND METHOD FOR DEFIBRATING' Carew Henry Reynell and Arthur J. V. Ware,

Memphis, Tenn.,' assignors to Reynell-Ware Incorporated, Memphis, Tenn., a corporatlon of Tennessee Application May 15, 1933, Serial No. 671,172

16 Claims. 1

This invention has general reference to means and methods for separating and segregating fibrous or other light materials from heavier matter; but specific reference will be made herein to apparatus anda method especially adapted for separating and segregating cotton fibers from the hulls of decorticated cotton seeds.

In the machines and methods heretofore devised for effecting such separation and segrega' tion as is contemplated in connection with the present invention, the raw or combined materials are fed into a closed vertical drum; are threshed or beaten by a large number of horizontallydisposed heaters or thresher arms; the fiber or lint is drawn upward by means of a fan, and discharged from the upper portion of the beater drum; and the delinted hulls and other heavy foreign matter fall from the drum, through openings at the bottom thereof. Due to defects in the designs and methods of operation of all of the heretofore-known machines with which the present applicants are familiar, eachthereof comprises an excessive number of parts; is usually of unnecessary height; is overly sensitive, and varies in the grade of output; and is unduly expensive as to first cost, maintenance, and power required for operation.

The theory upon which the designs and meth- I ods of operation of prior defibrating apparatus seemingly were based, was that special provision must be made to prevent the intake of air into the separation chamber through the chute or other form of passageway by which raw material is conducted to the separation chamber, and that in the endeavor to prevent withdrawal from such chamber of hulls or the delinted hulls, combinedor in company with the fiber or lint, the separation chamber must either be of very considerable height, or water-jacketed. This, however, was only partially successful, since if the supply of hulls ceased or diminished for any reason, and the machine therefore was notfully charged, a considerable portionof the hull bran was drawn over with the, fiber.

The present applicants, however, have pro ceeded upon, and by practical use have verified the correctness of, the theory that air may-be admitted to the passageway through which "the raw material is delivered to the separation chamber; that the extent and manner of applying air to such raw material during the defibrating process has important bearing upon the efliciency, output, and operating power required for 55 the defibrating apparatus; and that, if suitably designed, a very low separating and segregating chamber may be employed.

The primary object of the present invention isto improve upon the means and methods for defibration and segregation known heretofore, and 5 to overcome the objections thereto, particularly in the following respects:

By providing a defibrating and segregating apparatus in which the raw material will be sucked upward by a fan toward the center of the separator drum, and the heaviest of the foreign matter, such as stones or pieces of metal, will not enter said drum, and therefore will not come into contact with the heaters or other parts that might be damaged thereby. 5

By providing such an apparatus in which an ample supply of air will be supplied to the beater drum, in such a way that, without interference with the thoroughness of the defibrating action, the power required for operation of the device 20 will be minimized, and its output capacity will be magnified. J g

By providing such an apparatus in which a small number of horizontal arms, each terminat ing in a vertically-disposed, removable'beater blade, will be employed in place of the relatively large number of horizontal heaters used here tofore. I By providing such an apparatus having a 'deflector above and closely adjacent to the beater '6 arms, so that air currents will be diverted toward the beater blades, and the defibrating and segregating efliciency of the apparatus willbe promoted.

By providing such an apparatus having deflectors depending from its top, near the outlet for fiber, to prevent portions of the hulls or de-. fibrated hulls from being drawn out withthe lint or fiber.

By providing such an apparatus having a ribbed 6- or otherwise roughened inner surface, either integral with the beater drum or constituting a lining therefor; such surface being in such position that the raw material will be rubbed against it by the beater blades. 5

By providing a method of defibrating in which the raw material fed into the separation chamber will be deflected toward the inner peripheral surface thereof before being threshed or beaten; will be rubbed againstsaid surface while air is being drawn upward through said material; and 1 the lighter material will be further deflected and.v drawn out of said chamber at the top by such. upward air current, while the heavier material, will pass therefrom by gravity.

The means by which the foregoing and other desirable objects are accomplished by our present invention, and the manner of their accomplishment, readily may be understood from the following description on reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a central sectional elevation of an apparatus illustrative of a preferred form of the invention, in which the material to be deflbrated is delivered to the separation chamber at the bottom thereof.

Fig. 2 is an elevation of the'same. I

Fig. 3 is a sectional plan, the section being taken substantially on line III III ofFig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a central sectional elevation of an alternate form of the apparatus, in which the material to bedefibrated is delivered to the separa- 7 tion chamber at the top thereof.

chamber I0 is in the form of an annular plate,

' flue l1, communicating with a cylindrical, closed is an; annular screen 29, which may be formed either of a perforated plate or of heavy wire Fig. 5 is a sectional plan, the section being taken substantially on line VV of Fig. 4.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, and first considering the form of the apparatus illustrated in Figs. 1,2 and 3, the reference numeral equivalent thereof. If preferred, however, such interior surface may be vertically ribbed, corrugated, knurled, orotherwise roughened. Said.

drum is provided with flanges or brackets 12, by which it is supported upon suitable foundations l3.

The removable top cover I of the drum or from which depends an annular baflie or curtain l5, concentric with, and definitely spaced from the inner periphery of, said drum. At the central opening in said. cover, is an upwardly-extending chamber l8 which houses a suction fan IS. The blades of said fan are mounted upon, and are rotatable with, a vertical shaft 20, disposed centrally' of the flue l1. Within and concentric with said flue, and depending from the bottom of the fan, chamber I8, is an annular bal'fle or curtain 2 l.

The vertical shaft 20 extends downward through the separation chamber l0, and is connected, as by any preferred form of coupling 22,

with'the shaft 23 of a motor 24. The upper end:

of'the frame of said motor is reduced in size to form an annular shoulder 25. Supported on and extending upwardly from the shoulder, is a cy-' lindrieal member which terminates in an annular, horizontal leg 21 that is concentric with, but

7 definitely spaced away from the inner periphery of, the separation chamber l0. Extending completely around the interior of said chamber, between its lower flange 28 and the annular leg 21,

mesh, and which is secured to the flange 28 and to the leg 21 of the collar 26. A hopper 30 may be supported from flange 28 and leg 21, below the screen 29, so that material passing through said screen will fall into said hopper; and chutes 3| discharge such material at opposite sides of' the motor 24.

Y Rotatable with the vertical shaft 20, and dis'-' posed substantial-1y at the middle of the separation chamber in, are a plurality of beater arms 32 (a desirable number has been found in practice to be four) Said arms lie in the same horizontal plane, and may either be unitary with or re-' movably secured to a plate or spider 33 forming,

part of the sleeve 34 which is keyed upon, or otherwise secured to, the shaft 20. At the end of each of said arms, and removably secured thereto, as by bolts and nuts 35, is a verticallydisposed beater blade 36. The length of said arms is such as to position said blades closely adjacent the interior surface of the separation chamber 10, and beyond the outer surface of the annular baflie or curtain l5. At the upper side of the arms 32, and either secured thereto or directly to the shaft 20, is a circular plate 31, preferably of somewhat less diameter than the interior of the annular baflie or curtain IS.

in the substantially-vertical portion of' the chute-extension 40, is an opening H, and within said extension, at said'opening, is a baiiie 42: for

deflecting the hulls through said opening. Hulls so deflected are drawn in by air entering the w opening 4! below such baflie, or are delivered.

upon a platform 43, which preferably has a I skirtboard extending aroundits three sides, from which platform they are drawn in by the air. A slide extends somewhat above the platform 43 at the opening 41 and is vertically movableto vary the extent of its projection thereabove,

and/or the size of said opening. Heavy foreign matter, such as stones or pieces of metal, is deposited upon the platformlii, and does not pass therefrom into the separation chamber, where its presence would be harmful to the lining H, the blades 36, andotherparts. V 1 r In the alternate form of the apparatus, as

shown in Figs. 4 and 5, the fan casing [8A is placed at one side of the center line of the separation chamber I0, and communicates through a lateral flue'45 with" a vertical flue 46 which leads fromsaid chamber centrally thereof, and

preferably extends a sufficient distance thereinto to form an annular baffle or curtain 41. Said fan is driven, through "the medium of a pulley 48, from a counter: shaft or other sourceof'power (not shown). The shaft 49, by which the beater arms are rotated, may be similarly driven, as

through the medium of a pulley 50. 1

In said alternate form, thematerial to be deflbrated is delivered, through ,a chute '38 and a' 40A, and being intended for much the same purposes as the openings 4| and 42 shown in Fig. 1.

From the foregoing description, the operation of our improved defibrating apparatus, and its adaptability for accomplishing all of the desir able objects recited hereinbefore, readily may be understood. In its preferred form, as illustrated in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, the cotton seed hulls are delivered, at a substantially uniform rate, by the feeder 39, into the chute-extension 40, are deflected by the baffle 42 therein, and any heavy foreign matter, such as stones orv pieces of metal, is deposited upon the platform 43. The suction created by the fan I9 draws the hulls with attached lint into the separation chamber I0, where the deflector plate 37 causes it to be diverted. outwardly in all directions toward the liner I I of said chamber, and thus into the path of the beater blades 3'0. The action of said blades in beating said material and rubbingit against the rough-surfaced liner H, loosens and separates the fiber or lint from the hulls and/or other foreign matter, and leaves the lint free to be drawn through the flues I1 and 2I into the fan casing I8, whence it may be discharged into a storage receptacle, transporting means, or the like (not shown).

In its passage from the chamber I 0 into the flue leading to the fan, the lint or fiber is deflected by the depending curtain I5 and the curtain formed by the flue 2I, and any hull bran that may be combined with or accompany the lint or fiber is thus detached therefrom, and

drops back into chamber ID, whence it falls, with the other delinted hull material, through the mesh openings in the annular screen 29 into the hopper 30, and is discharged through the chutes 3|. I

It will be understood that this machine as above described is one that has been built for bulk of the lint from the seed, but leave short lint or fiber adhering to the seed. These seed are then cut or broken and the meats shaken out, leaving the hulls as thin curved pieces having lint attached to one side. This then is the material which is above described as being treated. With the lint attached it is easily carried by air currents, during treatment the hull is broken into smaller fragments which, freed from lint, drop by gravity from the air current.

In order that the operation of any defibrating apparatus may be commercially satisfactory, the resulting fiber must be free from hulls or other foreign matter in the fiber produced, such as would remain therein if the fiber were removed directly from the separation chamber in a rapidly moving air current. And yet, the strength of the suction created by the fan is an important factor in determining the rate of fiber output of such apparatus. By the present invention, provision is made for meeting the first of the foregoing requirements by the use of the deflector plate 31 and the baflles formed by the curtain I5 and the flue 2 I, so that the raw material cannot be drawn into the flue I'I before it is acted upon by the beater blades 36, and the separated fiber must pass under the bafile or curtain I5 before it can enter the flue I 'I, and any hull bran combined with or accompanying the fiber is thus deflected and caused to drop back into the chamber I0. It is found however that there is a tendency of the lint to pack around the shaft of the machine and interfere with the operation of the device. To obviate this, an auxiliary supply of air is admitted as close as possible to the shaft. In Fig. 1 this auxiliary air is supplied through the intake feed chute, which discharges well inward from the supply entering through the outlet screens 29, and in' Fig. 4 through the openings 5I, likewise inward from these screens. The rate of output of'apparatus embodying the presentinvention is far greater, and the power required for'operating it much less, than those of any defibrating apparatus of similar form heretofore known tothe present applicants, this being due partly to the use of the vertically-disposed beater blades 35 but even more to the special provisions for admitting an ample and distributed supply of air to the separation chamber, and rapidly withdrawing the separated fiber therefrom, in such a way as not to interfere with thorough defibration and segregation.

The operation of the alternate form of the apparatus, as illustrated in Figs. 4 and. 5, differs in two respects from that just described. In said alternate form the raw material is delivered to the separation chamber at the top thereof; and the separated fiber is carried a greater distance, and both vertically and horizontally, to the fan casing. It is contemplated that, to facilitate installation and operation in certain forms of existing structures, and in connection with certain arrangements of other apparatus, it might be found desirable to employ such alternate form of delivery, and/or such alternate arrangement of the fan and the flues leading thereto.

Various modifications of minor details of the hereindescribed defibrating means and method doubtless readily will occur to those skilled in this art, and we therefore do not desire to have our invention construed as being limited to any details not specifically claimed.

Having now fully disclosed the invention, what is claimed is:

1. In apparatus for defibrating cotton seed hulls, a vertical shaft'and beaters secured to and extending radially therefrom, a shallow chamber concentric with said'shaft and housing said heaters, an exhaust fan, said chamber having an annular cover and a lint flue leading from the opening in said cover and to said fan., a

baffle concentric with said shaft and depending.

2. In apparatus for defibrating cotton seed hulls, the combination, with a shallow upright drum having an annular cover, and having a bottom comprising an annular screen portion adjacent the drum wall, and a closed central portion, of a feed chute leading to said drum,

a vertical shaft extending into the drum, beaters carried by said shaft, an exhaust fan, a central lint flue leading from said annular top and to said fan, and bafiles within said drum, including a horizontally-disposed disk extending radially beyond said flue, and a cylindrical curtain wall extending downward from said top. a

3. In defibrating apparatus, a cylindrical chamber of restricted height, having an annular top and a bottom comprising a central closed portion and a screen portion extending therefrom to the wall of the drum; a feed chute leading into said drum; means for admitting air through the bottom of said drum; an exhaust fan;- a lint flue leading from the opening'in said top and to said fan; a vertical shaft extending centrally into said drum; beater arms carried by said shaft and radiatingtherefrom, each of said arms carrying a verticallydisposed blade; an annular baffle depending from said top and housing theupper ends of said blades;

a second annular baffle depending from said top and lying radially inward from said first baffle;

and a cylindrical disk carried by said heater arms and extending radially beyond said flue.

4. In defibrating apparatus, a vertical shaftv having beaters secured to and extending radially therefrom; a chamber around said shaft and heaters; an exhaust fan; said chamber having a bottom and anannular cover, and said bottom having screened openings therethrough; a lint flue leading from said cover to said fan; a bafile concentric with said shaft and of greater diameter than said flue, projecting into said chamber; and a feed chute having its lower end curved inwardly and upwardly into said bottom, said chute having an air inlet thereinto.

5. In apparatus for defibrating cotton seed hulls, the combination, with an upright'drum having an annular cover, and having a bottom comprising an annular screened portion adjacent the drum wall and a closed central portion, of a vertical shaft extending through said bottom into the drum; boaters carried by said shaft; an exhaust fan; and a feed chute including a portion curving inwardly and upwardly into the bottom of said drum, said chute having a trapped opening for the discharge of heavy foreign material.

6. In 'defibrating apparatus, a cylindrical chamber having an annular top, and having a bottom comprising a closed central portion and a screened portion extending therefrom to the wall of the chamber; a feed chute leading into said chamber; means for introducing air into the lower portion of said chamber; an exhaust fan; a lint flue leading from said top to said fan; a vertical shaft extending into said chamber; beaters carried by said shaft and radiating therefrom;

, annular baflies depending within said chamber;

and a cylindrical disk carried by said'beaters, the diameter of said disk being proportioned relatively to said annular baffles.

' 7. In apparatus for defibrating cotton seed hulls, the combination, with a cylinder having an annular cover, a bottom comprising an annular screened portion adjacent the cylinder wall, and a closed central portion, of a'feed chute leading 7 into said cylinder, air being admitted to said cylvascreened portion extending therefrom to the wall of the chamber; a feed chute leading into said chamber; means .for introducing air into the bottom portion of said chamber; an exhaust fan; a lint flue leading from said top to said fan; a vertical shaft extending into said chamber; beater arms carried by said shaft and radiating there-- from,'each of said arms carrying a vertically-disposed blade; an annular baffle depending from said top, and housing the upper ends of said blades; a second baffle depending from said top, and lying radially inward from said first-named baflie; and a cylindrical disk carried by said beator arms, and extending radially beyond said lastnamed baffle.

9. In defibrating apparatus, a vertical shaft; beaters secured thereto and extending radially therefrom; a cylindrical chamber housing said boaters, said chamber having a bottom and an annular cover; an exhaust fan; a'lint flue leading from said cover to said fan; spaced baflles substantially concentric with said shaft, depending within said chamber and flue; a circular disk substantially concentric with said shaft, and of greater diameter than the smaller of said spaced bafiles, disposed intermediate the height of said chamber; means for feeding material into said chamber; and screened openings through said chamber bottom to permit discharge of the heavier portions of the material therethrough.

10. In apparatus for defibrating cotton seed hulls or the like, the combination with a vertical casing sealed against lateralinflow of air, having a bottom head apertured immediately adjacent said casing for discharge of defibrated hulls and ingress of air, both along the vertical wall line of saidcasing and below the zone of beating action, means for supplying hulls into said casing, and means for beating such hulls against said casing to disiodgefiber therefrom, of means establishing an upwardly moving current of air through said apertured head and along the interior of the wall of said casing, opposing egress of hulls through said apertured head, said head being additionally'apertured radially inward remote from the zone of beating action for ingress of an auxiliary air supply for lint transference.

11. In apparatus for defibrating cotton seed hulls or the like, the combination with a vertical casing having a bottom head apertured adjacent said casing for discharge of defibrated hulls and ingress of air, means for supplying hulls into said casing, and means for beating such hulls against said casing to dislodge fiber therefrom, of means establishing an upwardly moving current of air through said apertured head and along the interior of the wall of said casing opposing egress of hulls through saidapertured head, said head being additionally apertured radially inward from the zone of beating action for ingress of an auxiliary air supply for lint transference, and means for baffling direct flow of said latter air.

12. In apparatusfor defibrating cotton seed hulls or the like, the combination, with a stationary vertical casing having a substantially iming said hulls against said walL- and means for passing air in a vertical direction through said perforated portion of said head and upward in the threshing zone to remove the separated fiber.

13. In apparatus for -defibrating cotton seed hulls or the like, the combination, with a sta tionary vertical casing substantially cylindrical,

and having a bottom head, an annular portion or 14. In apparatus for defibrating cotton seed hulls or the like, the combination with a station-.

ary vertical casing having a bottom head apertured adjacent said casing for discharge of deflbrated hulls and ingress of air, means for supplying hulls to said casing, and means for deflecting hulls toward said casing and beating them thereagainst to detach fiber therefrom, of means for establishing flow of air through said apertured head into said casing and upward therethrough, in the zone of said beating action, and means for impeding radially inward flow of such current from said beating zone.

15. In a defibrating apparatus for cotton seed hulls, or the like, a treatment chamber, a feed chute leading thereinto, and means for separating heavy foreign matter from said hulls, said chute including a section discharging by gravity, said section having a discharge opening at one side thereof and an inclined bafile terminating said section at said opening, a horizontally disposed, open top receptacle below said bafile and opening and adapted to receive discharge from said section, said chute having an entrance opening leading laterally thereinto below said baflle and above the adjacent top of said receptacle, and means for causing a hull-conveying air current to said chute through said opening, whereby to deflect said hulls into and reclaim and carry said hulls into, said chute while allowing heavy foreign matter to drop and remain in said receptacle.

16. A method of defibrating cotton seed hulls or the like, which comprises subjecting the hulls to a threshing action in a vertically disposed zone shielded against radially inward airflow, to loosen the fiber therefrom in the presence solely of a current of air introduced below and moving up- Ward into and along the zone of threshing action and promoting separation of the lint from the heavier hull portions thereof, and supplementing such action with a remote air current radially inward from the threshing zone to accomplish removal of the lint.

CAREW HENRY REYNELL. ARTHUR J. V. WARE. 

